Would you like your coffee black or blue?
by TheWritingManiac
Summary: In which Annabeth is a barista, and Percy's the guy who comes in and orders something new every day. Or, the one where Percy's dyslexic and can't read the menu, and Annabeth is more than happy to help him choose. Percabeth AU, complete
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! So I've seen a TON of AUs where Percy is the barista and Annabeth's the girl who comes in every day, gets the same drink, etc. So I was bored and thought, hey, why not switch it up a bit. This is gonna be a multi-chap where it switches between Percy and Annabeth's viewpoints, probably every other chapter, where Annabeth is the barista and Percy comes in and orders something new every day. Not sure how many chapters it'll end up being, but yeah, enjoy! Reviews are awesome and very much appreciated! Love feedback, suggestions, etc. Now on to the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or anything else you might recognize.**

The bell dinged as the door of the shop flew open, bringing with it a fresh burst of bitterly cold December wind.

Annabeth glanced up from the hot cocoa she was making, inhaling the steam of the warm, wintery drink. "I'll be with you in a minute!" she yelled over the noise of the frother.

A young man with shaggy black hair, scattered with melting snowflakes and peering out from under a thick beanie, rubbed his hands together as he entered the cozy little coffee shop. His cheeks and ears were red from the cold, but the absence of colorful Christmas shopping bags made Annabeth wonder why he was out on such a day.

Annabeth glanced around. Her best friend, roommate, and coworker, Piper, was helping another customer, so she quickly placed the lid of the cocoa on the festive red cup and handed it to the harried-looking woman overlaid with bags. _More Christmas shopping,_ Annabeth thought lazily as she drifted back over to where the young man stood, examining the pastries inside the display bar.

"Hi, what can I get you today?" she asked him, drumming her slender fingers on the counter.

He glanced up. Annabeth immediately noticed his eyes were just a few shades lighter than the holly wreath hanging on the door, almost a sea-colored green. "I'm still choosing," he answered.

"Take your time," she replied, tightening her curly blond ponytail. "Holler when you're done." She quickly wiped down the counters, rinsed out a few blenders, and refilled the napkin holders, but by the time she made it over to the display bar again, the guy was still glaring at the menu.

"Sorry I'm taking so long," he apologized, squinting at the menu and putting his chapped hands into the pocket of his flannel snowboarding jacket. "I'm dyslexic, so the menu's a bit of a challenge." He laughed a bit bashfully.

"Don't worry about it," Annabeth reassured him. "The special today is mint-chocolate-mocha cocoa. I had some this morning – it was really good."

His face lit up. Annabeth almost laughed, he looked so much like a relieved little puppy dog. "Yeah, yeah, that sounds perfect."

"Ok. Would you like a large?" He nodded, and she rang it up. "That'll be $3.39. What's your name?" she asked, Sharpie poised over the red cup dotted with decorative snowflakes.

"Hmmm," he began, grinning. "I'm going to be weird and say… Kelp Face."

"Kelp Face?" Annabeth asked incredulously. "What kind of a name is that?"

He laughed at her expression. "Just a nickname I've had since I was a kid."

"Whatever you say," she answered skeptically, scribbling it onto the cup. "Do you want whip cream or not?" Annabeth began pouring milk and flavorings, wincing as the door opened with the arrival of a new customer and blasted her with frigid air and swirling snow.

"Yeah, definitely," he said. "And thanks for helping me choose." The grin on his face was infectious.

"You're welcome," she said, smiling.

"Oh wait!" he answered, snapping his fingers. "Is there any possible way you have any blue food coloring or anything?"

"Um, yeah, why?" Annabeth asked amusedly, grabbing some of the food coloring they used to dye pastry frosting.

He flushed. "I just like my food to be blue. I've liked it since I was little."

Annabeth laughed, and it was strange, considering the fact that she didn't even know the guy's real name. Piper gave her a weird look from the other side of the room, where she was patiently listening to a disgruntled elderly man rant about how his drink was too sweet. Annabeth threw her an "I'll explain later" expression as she let a few drops of blue swirl into the cup of steaming cocoa, squirting some thick whip cream in a perfect swirl on top, and handing it to the guy.

"Thanks again, Annabeth. I'd better be getting back to work now," he said, and Annabeth raised her eyebrows before she remembered she had her nametag on. _Duh._

"You're welcome, Kelp Face," she answered with a bright smile. The bell dinged as he left the warm little shop, and Annabeth let her eyes wander to his tall, kind of awkward-looking figure as he crossed the street, trudged through a snowbank, and entered a new building across from the shop – the city's first aquarium, which had opened last week.

As the bell rang again and another harried Christmas shopper entered the café, Annabeth began to ring up orders and make steaming brews to warm the poor souls traipsing through the freezing weather. The guy completely slipped her mind until she got home that night.

She didn't know it at the time, but Kelp Face, on the other hand, was a completely different story.

 **And that's all for today, folks! Reviews are Percy's blue hot chocolate. :)**

 **3, WM**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again you awesome people! Thank you all SO much for the feedback, favs and follows. It's so encouraging. :) Now, I need all ya'll's help. (Yes, I'm from the South. Sue me.) So I'm kind of experimenting with the story and I'm trying to decide whether to have two chapters on each situation, as in one chapter for every viewpoint. So basically this chapter is the last chapter, only from Percy's viewpoint instead of Annabeth's. I need you to tell me whether you just want to switch viewpoints for every situation (like, have just had when they meet Annabeth's version instead of both of them), or have both viewpoints for every situation. I'm sorry this doesn't make much sense because it's kind of hard to explain, but if you figure it out, please tell me which one ya'll like better! Thanks so much!**

A horn blasted him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry!" Percy yelled, waving awkwardly to the car he had cut off crossing the street. The driver made a rude hand gesture and blared the horn again as the car passed. Percy just rolled his eyes. There were still three weeks till Christmas, but people were getting stressed with all the shopping and busyness of this time of year.

Percy loved Christmas, though. It was his favorite season, being with his mom and step-dad in New York, with all the lights and decorations and (of course) _presents_. Even now that he had moved down to a New Kent, a smaller town outside NYC, he was counting the days until he would be able to pack his bags and drive a few hours to NYC and his mom's cozy little apartment in the heart of the city.

He opened the door to the little coffee shop he had noticed a few weeks ago, but hadn't had the chance to go check it out until now. The bell over the door jingled merrily, mixing with the cozy chaos of a dozen voices and the scents of cinnamon, coffee and cookies wafting through the air. One of the baristas yelled "I'll be with you in a minute!" over her shoulder. He nodded, though she couldn't see him, and turned his gaze to the display glass.

He looked up, and his heart sank. _Oh, great._ The menu was above the counter and handwritten on a chalkboard in fancy red-and-green cursive. How was he supposed to read that?

The girl finished what she was working on and walked over to the counter. "Hi, what can I get you today?" she asked, drumming her slender fingers on the counter.

Percy didn't have a girlfriend and to be honest, hadn't had time for a relationship since high school. Even so, he couldn't help but notice the girl's large grey eyes and how her blond, curly ponytail was oddly highlighted by the bright red sweater under her dark green apron.

"Um, I'm still choosing," he answered, doing his best not to stutter or do anything embarrassing.

She smiled a bit tightly, Percy noticed. Probably all the people in town for Christmas were wearing her out. "Take your time." She tightened her ponytail, and Percy tried not to stare. "Holler when you're done."

He nodded, watching her as she turned away and busied herself with some other work behind the counter. Now, if only he could read this stupid menu, he wouldn't look like an idiot when she came back.

By the time she returned, though, Percy hadn't made heads or tails of the curly writing on the board. _Just tell her the truth,_ his brain told him. _It's nothing to be ashamed of._ "I'm dyslexic," he admitted, "so reading the menu is a bit of a challenge."

"Don't worry about it," she assured him. "The special today is mint-mocha-chocolate cocoa. I had some this morning, and it was really good."

Percy could have kissed her. Then he blushed when he saw the barista's barely suppressed laughter. "Yeah, yeah, that'd be great."

"You want a large?" she asked, raising her blond eyebrows.

He nodded quickly, hoping he didn't look to eager.

She rang it up. "That'll be $3.39. What's your name?"

For a second, Percy ran a blank on his own name. This girl – her nametag was twisted and a bit hard to read, not even including his dyslexia… did it say Annabelle? Wait, no. Annabeth. Annabeth was not doing favors to his mind.

To cover his hesitation, he pretended to consider. "Hmmm… I'm going to be weird and say Kelp Face."

He immediately regretted saying it when an incredulous look sprang to her face. "Kelp Face? What kind of a name is that?"

Percy tried to laugh, though it was hard with Annabeth's big silver eyes framed by those dark lashes were fixed upon him. "Just a nickname I've had since I was a kid."

She rolled her eyes, laughing along with him. Percy's heart skipped a beat. "Whatever you say. Do you want whip cream or not?" she asked as she began to make his drink.

Percy tried to formulate his thoughts. "Uh, yes, definitely. And thanks for helping me choose." He grinned.

She smiled back. "You're welcome." Percy, of course, didn't notice that she had a beautiful smile. He also didn't notice the tiny freckle near her left eye, or how her small, upturned nose crinkled a bit when she grinned. Nope, definitely not.

A thought suddenly popped into his mind, and like usual he acted upon it before he thought. "Oh, wait! Is there any possible way you have any blue food coloring are anything?"

She looked bemused as she grabbed a bottle. "Um, yeah, why?"

Percy flushed. He was really going to have to work on thinking, _then_ acting. "Um, I just like my food to be blue. I've liked it since I was little."

She laughed and quickly finished making his cocoa, mixing a few blue drops into the creamy thickness and adding whip cream. "Here you go."

Percy tried not to gulp as her cool fingers barely touched his own roughened hand as she handed him his drink. "Thanks, Annabeth. I'd… I'd better be going back to work now."

"You're welcome, Kelp Face," she answered, her bright smile sending shivers down Percy's back.

 _She called me Kelp Face. She called me Kelp Face. Maybe she likes me. She's so freaking adorable,_ were his accidental, immediate thoughts. He tried to push them down, though. It wasn't like him to have a random crush like this.

Waving slightly in farewell, he reluctantly opened the door and let the bell jingle, before feeling the rush of cold and the large snowflakes hit him like a brick. He glanced up into the gray sky. _This is gonna be one heck of a storm._

Crossing the street to the aquarium, he tried to put Annabeth out of his mind. _You're not getting any work done if you keep thinking about her!_

And yeah, he _didn't_ really get much work done the rest of the afternoon. His mind was definitely somewhere else.

Maybe, just maybe, it was in the coffee shop across the street.

 **And that's all for today! Something with FF is messed up so I can't read your reviews ont he site, but I can read them on my email, and you guys are seriously the best! Please review on which viewpoints you want, and if you want me to add any of the other couples (Jasper, Caleo, Frazel, etc.)**

 **Love you guys!**

 **WM**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for all reviews, favs and follows! You guys are awesome. :) Today's story takes place outside the coffee shop, but never fear, it will go back to that soon. The general consensus was that I switch characters viewpoints every other situation, so that's what I'll be doing. This one is Annabeth's, and sry but the next one is also Annabeth's, but then we'll be switching off from chapter to chapter.**

 **Alright, now on to the story! Hope you guys enjoy!**

 **Oops, forgot to add the disclaimer to the previous chapters. Let it be known that I, unfortunately, do not own PJO or Starbucks. :P**

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to just _try,_ now would it?" Piper's reasoning made Annabeth want to either laugh or murder someone, preferably her best friend.

"Yeah, and if he has a big a crush on you as Pipes seems to think, it might be even better than that," Piper's boyfriend, Jason, added from his sprawled position on the couch.

"Guys. If you think I'm going to go down the _aquarium_ on my _one_ day off, two weeks before Christmas – which means it'll be jam-packed with tourists – and when it's snowing and just plain _freezing_ cold – you're completely crazy." Annabeth rolled her eyes for emphasis. "All to see a guy I've met only once and I don't even know his real name, only that his favorite color is blue and his hair is black and really soft-looking and he likes beanies and his eyes are that kind of sea-green color and – "

Piper, her petite figure curled up in Jason's lap, gave her boyfriend a significant look. "Yup, you like him."

"No, I don't!" Annabeth snapped, tugging on her oversized Christmas sweater. "Piper, I swear, if you say one more word…" She left the threat unfinished, but her best friend got the point. With a sigh, Piper got off the couch and grabbed her tea off the kitchen table, yet Annabeth didn't miss the rather obvious wink she sent Jason, who tried to look innocent but failed.

"I'm going for a walk," Annabeth huffed, pulling her favorite pair of grey boots over her jeans and heading for the apartment door. "I'll come back when you guys get some sense in your heads." The door slammed behind her.

Piper twisted her long, chocolate-brown hair into a messy bun, opened her laptop, and started a movie, returning to her spot on Jason's lap with a thick fleece blanket. Just as the beginning credits came on, she turned around. "You don't think she's just _going_ _for a walk_ , do you?"

Jason grinned, cracking his knuckles. He and Piper had known Annabeth since they were in middle school. "Not a chance."

"Stupid Piper… stupid Jason… don't know anything… think they run my life, well, they _don't_!" Annabeth ranted her feelings in furious muttering as she stalked down the snowy street, her cold chapped hands deep in the knitted pockets of her sweater. "I don't need a guy to make me happy… just fine being single… but no, Piper tries to match me up with any guy that shows any interest in me whatsoever… _idiots_."

It didn't help, of course, that her best friends were perfectly _right._ Kelp Face hadn't left her mind since her shift ended the day before, and for more than one reason. All Annabeth wanted to do was feel if his hair was as soft as it looked, and what his big hand would feel like intertwined with hers, and just _everything_ about him, because she knew so little and yearned to know so much more.

 _You haven't had a crush since high school, idiot. Get ahold of yourself!_

Her heated breath steamed into the frosty air with her angry murmurs, her boots crunching in the newly fallen snow. Her eyes on the ground, Annabeth didn't exactly look where she was going, and suddenly –

"Oomph," she gasped, falling backwards. "What the…"

 _Of_ _course,_ she thought furiously as she scrambled to her feet and saw the person she bumped into. _Of course, with my luck, of all the people, I had to run into –_

"I'm so, so sorry!" A guy with shaggy black hair and sea-green eyes climbed to his feet and blushed bright strawberry red. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, and I didn't see you, so – "

Annabeth tried not to stare at how nicely his dark jeans fit his long legs, and the way his sweater molded around his torso and how his coat hung off of him the way they always did in magazines –

"Um, yeah, don't worry about it, I'm fine," she stammered, brushing the snow off her sweater as a way to keep her hands and eyes busy.

"Don't you work at the coffee shop across from the aquarium?" he asked conversationally, and Annabeth bit her lip. _Why, oh why, oh why, oh why…_

"Yeah, I do." _Don't show any sign of recognition. Don't let him know you haven't been able to get him off your mind for a full 24 hours._

"Yeah, I came in the other day. That mint mocha cocoa was really good."

"Oh, really? Glad to hear you liked it," she said, trying to figure out what to do next. Would it be rude to start walking in the opposite direction? But no, somehow Kelp Face was walking next to her on the sidewalk, making conversation like a normal human being, like walking next to a girl he met the day before and just knocked over was the most natural thing in the world.

"Yeah. The blue was a great touch too," he added, glancing at her. Annabeth realized he was trying to prod her memory, trying to see if she remembered him. She blushed rosy at the thought.

"Oh, yeah, you're Kelp Face!" The cute, boyish grin and thinly veiled relief on his face was payment for having "remembered" him.

"That's me," he said, sticking his hand out.

Annabeth shook it, ignoring the tingles going up her spine because _she was touching his hand and oh my word his skin's soft but rough at the same time and his hand's so big it swallows mine but it fits somehow perfectly and –_

"Nice to officially meet you," she said, forcing a laugh.

Percy smiled too, and _wow,_ she remembered why she had liked it so much before. "You too." They were at the aquarium now, and he continued, "I'd better get back to work now. It was nice talking to you, Annabeth, and sorry I wasn't looking where I was going." The gleam in his green eyes hinted otherwise, but Annabeth had enough to think of without tripping over her words.

"You too, Kelp Face," she answered with a smile.

Only after he had gone inside the building with one last wave did she realize she still didn't know his name.

 **And that's all for today! Love ya'll. Reviews are walks in the snow. :)**

 **WM**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hullo, beautiful people! Thank you guys so much for all the support. You guys rock! I love reading the reviews and looking at who's followed/faved it - it's so encouraging. So this chapter is also in Annabeth's view, and I know I said I would be switching off back and forth but then I accidentally started writing this in Annabeth's POV and I was halfway through before I realized it _should_ be Percy's. But don't worry, the next one will be! **

**Read and review! Tell me what you think. Suggestions/ideas are welcome! :)**

 **Now onto the story!**

 **Disclaimer: Alas, I do not own PJO or anything you might recognize.**

"Large Caramel Cappuccino, no whip!" Annabeth yelled over the noise of the busy café.

Piper nodded, quickly pumping some caramel flavoring into a cup and rinsing out a blender.

Annabeth sighed wearily as the bell over the door jingled yet again. With only a few weeks till Christmas, things were getting busier and busier at the small coffee shop. Her legs were aching and she was long due her lunch break, but _of course_ Hazel had to be late today, and she couldn't leave Piper alone with the mid-afternoon rush.

She took three more orders, shouting them to Piper, labeling cups and names and put up with an elderly woman, complaining _again_ how her slice of cinnamon coffee cake was stale, and again Annabeth tried to explain to her it had come out of the oven in the back of the shop not an hour ago –

The bell jingled again, and Annabeth turned around tiredly. "Hi, what can I get – Kelp Face!"

Kelp Face grinned. "Hey, Annabeth. What's the special today?"

Slightly flustered, Annabeth tucked a frizzy blond curl which had somehow escaped her messy bun again behind her ear. "Um, I think it's a gingerbread latte."

Kelp Face made – well, a face. "No thanks. I don't like gingerbread."

Annabeth pretended to be shocked, ignoring the elderly woman trying to finish her rude complaint. "What? How could you not like gingerbread?"

He laughed. "I just don't. Something about those projects where they put more cinnamon in the dough than edible gingerbread so kids can make Christmas ornaments, and I decided to try eating it. Not very good memories."

Annabeth snickered. "Your poor mother."

He chuckled easily, but Annabeth noticed how his large hands twisted together nervously. "Unfortunately, my dyslexia has not improved since the last time I tried to read that thing." He nodded at the menu. "What else is there?"

"Hmmm…" Annabeth glanced up at the menu. She could see why Kelp Face would have trouble reading it – she could barely read Piper's decorative cursive. "Let's see… the cinnamon latte is good, too. Especially if you have the coffee cake with it."

"Cinnamon latte it is, then," he answered, winking.

Annabeth blushed as she grabbed a cup, then turned and remembered to ask, "What size do you want?" ignoring Piper's obvious stare from the blenders.

"Large is great. And a slice of the coffee cake sounds good too."

"Ok. That'll be $5.26. And your name?" she asked, trying not to sound too eager.

He smiled. Annabeth gulped. "Let's stick with Kelp Face."

She rolled her eyes as she wrote it down on the cup. "You need a new nickname."

Kelp Face smiled ruefully. "I probably do."

"No _probably_ about it," Annabeth argued, privately wishing she had all day to talk, but ever mindful of the line of customers behind him. "I'll be thinking."

He threw his head back and laughed, his black hair again peeking out from behind a beanie. "All right, Miss All-Knowing – "

"I'd prefer Smart Woman. Or Wise Girl," she answered teasingly.

"Ok then, Wise Girl, I'll be waiting to hear what you decide. And can the latte be – "

"Blue?" Annabeth finished, grinning. "You bet." She yelled the order over her shoulder at Piper.

Piper soon called out that Kelp Face's order was ready, and with another smile, he left to pick it up. Annabeth quickly took the next person in line, letting her eyes follow Kelp Face as he found the last empty table amid the chattering tourists and took a sip of his bright blue drink.

"Hey, I'm sorry I'm late," came a breathless voice from Annabeth's right. "I was out with Frank, and the time just slipped away – "

"It's fine," Annabeth replied to her good friend, cracking her neck. "I'm going to go sit down."

Hazel took her place at the cash register, and Annabeth let a teasing grin slip across her face. "Hazel?"

"Yeah?" she asked, in the middle of an order.

"Your lipgloss is messed up." Annabeth smiled sweetly as Hazel's dark skin turned a lovely shade of scarlet. Hazel's boyfriend, Frank, was the sweetest thing on earth, and the couple really loved each other. Annabeth wouldn't be surprised to see a ring any day now. But it was still fun to tease her cutely innocent friend, and Annabeth took the opportunity whenever she could.

 _Finally, I'm free,_ she thought with relief. Her legs sore from rushing around since 9 that morning, she looked around for an empty table, noticing with a mixed bit of relief and disappointment that Kelp Face had left.

"Looking for an empty table?" A voice cut through the chaos over her shoulder and made her jump.

"You scared me," she retorted primly, hiding how her heart started beating faster and how the hint of cologne clinging to his clothes was made her want to cuddle with him for the rest of her life.

"Sorry." Kelp Face's boyish awkwardness returned, and Annabeth tried not to smile at his freaking _adorableness._

"You got a table?" she asked, then realized _is that asking him on a date oh no did I just ask him on a date that's not a date calm down Annabeth –_

"Yeah, I was just getting a napkin." He gestured toward the small booth in the corner. "Join me?"

"Yeah, sure. I need to sit down," she agreed, squeezing the tight muscles in her neck, ignoring Piper's frequent glances from behind the counter.

"Would you like anything?" he asked as they sat down, facing each other.

"No, don't worry about it," Annabeth replied, shaking her head. "I have the stuff here a lot, so I'm good."

Kelp Face sipped his blue latte. "Are all the tourists wearing you out?"

Annabeth nodded drily. "I swear, if I hear one more complaint about a cold drink or stale pastries, even if they were just baked this morning, I'm gonna quit."

He laughed. Annabeth noticed how his eyes crinkled at the corners when he did. She also might have noticed how he was about a head taller than her standing up, but they were almost eye-level sitting down. _Must be those long legs._

They made small talk for a while. Annabeth told him how she was majoring in Architecture at NYU and had taken this job for the afternoons and then full time over the holidays. Kelp Face explained how he had just finished college and was working at the new aquarium, which was doing very well in the midst of all the sight-seeing tourists.

Suddenly Kelp Face leaned over the table, and Annabeth randomly thought _is he going to kiss me oh pineapples please kiss me –_

"There's a girl and a guy over there who's staring at us," he muttered. "They're in sunglasses and ski masks."

Annabeth glanced over to where he had subtly nodded and tried not to panic. "Erm… that's my roommate and best friend, Piper, and her boyfriend Jason. Piper works here too; she must have just gotten off her shift." She waved them over, crossing her fingers that they wouldn't embarrass her or say anything that hinted about how she'd been acting lately.

"How'd you know it was us?" Piper complained, taking off the mask and sunglasses as she sat down at the table across from Kelp Face and Annabeth.

"Piper. You're going to have to work on incognito mode," Annabeth began with an all-suffering sigh. "First, Jason's hair wasn't totally covered and was peeking out over the tops of his sunglasses. Two, you're still wearing your apron." Annabeth nodded at the green fabric. "Third, who else would be wearing ski masks and sunglasses while staring at me creepily from across the room?"

Piper rolled her eyes. "Jason, your hair was sticking out," she informed her boyfriend as he sat down, conveniently forgetting her apron slip-up.

"Sorry," Jason shrugged. A mischievous smile tugged the corners of his mouth. "So, Annabeth, who's your friend?"

"Um, this is, um, Kelp face," Annabeth said, trying to ward off the coming blush. "Kelp Face, this is my roommate and best friend, Piper and her boyfriend, Jason."

"Kelp Face?" Jason asked, raising his eyebrows.

Kelp Face nodded, grinning. "It's an old nickname. Nice to meet you too."

Piper put on her most charming smile. "And what's your real name?"

Annabeth bit back a groan. Poor Kelp Face, having to stand up to the interrogation of her friends.

He glanced at Annabeth with a twinkle in his sea-colored eyes before looking back to Piper and Jason. "You can call me Kelpie, if you want."

"I told him he needed a new nickname," Annabeth added quickly. "I'll have to think about it."

Kelp Face glanced at his watch before Piper and Jason could come at him with another round of questions. "I'd better get back to work. My boss, Will, is pretty laid back, but I'd rather not push it, especially with all the tourists." He threw his cup in the trash and waved to the three still sitting. "Bye Piper, Jason. Nice to meet you. And," he smiled bashfully, "um, bye, Wise Girl. It was, uh, nice talking to you."

Annabeth waved, hoping her friends couldn't see her rosy cheeks. "Bye, Kelp Face."

He waved and went out the door, bringing in a fresh wave of snow and cold.

"So?" Piper and Jason chorused in unison.

"So what?" Annabeth asked innocently.

"So… you're getting to know him!" Piper squealed. "Annabeth, you guys could start dating!"

"Puh-lease," Annabeth scoffed, completely ignoring the fact that this option had gone through her head numerous times. "I just met him a couple days ago. We're acquaintances. Barely even friends."

Piper smiled sweetly. "For now."

Annabeth groaned out loud this time. "I'm going home to get some rest," she said, pulling her thick coat and preparing to head out into the cold. "I'll see you guys tonight?"

"Movie night!" Piper sang, though she hadn't gotten the devious gleam out of her eyes yet. "Hazel and Frank are coming too, and Hazel invited a few of her friends."

Annabeth grinned. Their weekly movie nights, which pretty much consisted of a bunch of college kids and a lot of food, were a highlight of their weeks.

"Bye, Annabeth," Jason waved and winked. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

The door jingled as she went out, and she inconspicuously glanced across the street to the aquarium, heedless of the snow getting caught in her eyelashes.

Even after a million things going through her head about Kelp Face, she wouldn't admit it to herself – but _maybe_ she hoped Piper would be right after all.

 **And that's all for today, folks! Love ya'll and tell me what you think of how the story's progressing. :)**

 **WM**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Sorry for the longer time to upload - school is definitely kicking into full gear, and I've barely had time to sleep. Like, literally. But here is another chapter! This story's turning out longer than i expected, but I'm personally loving writing it, so it'll probably end up being many more chapters than I originally planned.**

 **This chapter is again, away from the coffee shop, but we'll go back to that in the next chapter. Tel me whether you want the next chapter to be Annabeth's view or Percy's - I've found that almost all the coffee shop scenes are in Annabeth's, and was thinking maybe I should do a scene in Percy's. This chapter is kind of both of theirs, but more Percy's. :)**

 **Again, read and review! I LOVE REVIEWS. They make me so happy! Every little thing is read and appreciated, so PLEASE REVIEW. :D And thansk so much for the support everybody's already given! :)**

 **And now this A/N is much too long. Onto the story, people!**

A knock sounded throughout the small, albeit messy apartment Annabeth and Piper shared.

Annabeth glanced at the microwave. _Nine o'clock,_ she thought. _A little late, like always._

"I'll get it!" she yelled, making her way to the door and opening it for her friends.. "Hey guys, come on in," she said, pulling her flowy cardigan closer. The chattering group of young adults filed into the small apartment.

She shut the door, smiling to herself as she followed the group to the main room. This would be a good night.

"Hi guys! Hey, Jase," Piper bubbled, jumping up from the couch and greeting her boyfriend with a kiss. "Who all is here?" she asked, glancing around at the dozen or so college kids.

Annabeth quickly took inventory. "Hazel, Frank, Will, Nico, Clarisse, Chris, Katie, Travis, Reyna, Leo, Calypso, and then Jason," she counted. She tried to ignore the sinking in her heart. There was no plausible way he could have come. If she had wanted him to, she would have invited him earlier.

She pushed the thought from her mind.

"Awesome!" Piper squealed, gesturing toward the kitchen. "There's about six boxes of pizza, couple 12-packs of sodas, chips, the works. Help yourselves."

Of course, the guys brought the food into the living room, where Piper had connected her laptop to the large flat-screen TV and was rifling through Netflix.

"So, what do you guys wanna watch?" she asked.

"Something Disney," Hazel volunteered.

"Why not? Let's have a marathon." Piper shrugged. "Ok, what Disney movie?"

Annabeth grinned to herself. Leave it to a dozen college kids to have a Disney marathon. This would _definitely_ be interesting.

" _Hercules_!" offered Will, taking a handful of chips from a brightly colored bowl on the table.

"No, no, no," Nico fussed, throwing a pillow at him. "I think we should watch _Tarzan."_

"Ok, Peeps, leave it to Uncle Leo," Leo said grandly, standing to an amount of boos. "Let me solve this problem and suggest _Frozen._ "

"Sweetheart, that would be a no," Calypso said, rolling her eyes at her boyfriend.

"Idiots," Clarisse muttered.

"I know! What about _Beauty and the Beast?_ Or something really old, like _Sleeping Beauty?"_ Piper asked, pleading in her eyes.

"No, I would rather watch _Peter Pan_ ," Katie volunteered. "I've always loved Wendy."

The chorus of voices shouted over each other and raised the volume in the apartment more than a few notches. Annabeth groaned, knowing that their neighbors would be complaining in the morning. But it was worth it. Movie nights had definitely created some great friendships and amazing memories in their little group.

Over the din, she heard one more knock. Her forehead creased in puzzlement, she glanced over at Piper, who was still enthusiastically arguing for _Sleeping Beauty._

Her best friend noticed her glance of wondering and smiled knowingly, sending a look toward Jason. He also had heard the knock and grinned.

Shrugging, Annabeth went to answer the door, tripping on the way over a discarded coat. She rolled her eyes – their apartment would be _such_ a mess by the morning.

She opened the door, saw a lone figure, and did a double take.

•

Percy ran a hand through his hair nervously. Piper had come over to the aquarium after Annabeth went home and asked him to come to their movie night later. He had acquiesced gladly, _partly_ because he had nothing going on that night, and _mainly_ because he wanted to see Annabeth again.

He lowered his hand after knocking and bit his lip. What if his presence made Annabeth uncomfortable? What if he didn't get along well with her friends?

Too late to back out now – the door opened, and Annabeth's grey eyes went wide.

"Kelp Face!" she said, her cheeks flushed. "I didn't know you were coming!"

"Uh, yeah, Piper invited me," he said, awkwardly raking his fingers through his hair again. Annabeth looked _amazing_ tonight, her curly blond hair in a messy bun with tendrils of smooth curls falling out. She wore no make-up, but then again Percy wasn't sure if she ever did – she just didn't need it. Her black leggings, fuzzy Christmas socks, and thick winter cardigan made a cute, slightly disheveled look. The sweater was like a blanket with sleeves and opened just enough to show a tight black tank-top underneath.

Percy gulped.

"Um, come on in," Annabeth said, breaking the silence. "I'll, um, introduce you."

Percy noticed how when she moved her hands when she talked. It was so freaking _cute._

Annabeth led him through the cozy little apartment. He took in the smooth grey walls, creamy carpet. He could see there was a main room, a kitchen off to the side, a bedroom, and a bathroom, all a bit messy, but in a nice, lived-in sort of way.

As soon as he had stepped inside, he could hear an argument. The voices and laughs rang through the apartment, making Percy feel strangely at home.

"Guys!" Annabeth yelled as they entered the main room. Percy took in the sight. About a dozen late-college aged kids were sprawled through the room, on the couch. A slight, skinny guy with black hair and eyes sat next to a surfer dude with blond hair, tanned skin and blue eyes. Piper and Jason, who he had met earlier, were cuddling on the couch. A few more couples were sitting on each other's laps or next to each other on the floor or chairs.

And there was food. Heck, a _lot_ of food. Percy could see his night spiraling upwards, especially with that pair of big grey eyes next to him.

"Guys!" Annabeth tried again, waving her hands to get her friends attentions. Quickly the noise died down, and fourteen heads turned in their direction. "This is, um, Kelp Face," she explained, gesturing to him. Percy noticed how her nails were painted grey and red, then quickly looked away. "Piper and I met him a couple days ago, and she invited him tonight."

(Percy tried not to frown at the stress on _Piper,_ not Annabeth,inviting him.)

"Kelp Face?" someone snorted.

"Hi, everybody," he said, waving. "You can call me Kelp Face, or Kelpie, if you want. Nickname."

"Hi Kelp Face! Nice to meet you," said a girl with curly, cinnamon-colored hair and milk-chocolate skin. She sat on the lap of a muscular Chinese dude, who gave him a nod.

"Hey, Punk," said a buff girl with stringy brown hair and eyes that could explode bullets.

"Clarisse," chided a guy with dark brown hair sitting next to her. "Hey, Kelp, I'm Chris."

"Hi, Kelpie," said a soft, musical voice. A girl with long, caramel-colored hair and almond eyes smiled gently. She held hands with a guy that could be described as nothing but a Latino Elf with the energy of a guy after drinking a pack of Red Bull. He literally _never_ stopped moving. They were the most unlikely couple Percy had ever imagined, but somehow they fit.

"So why won't you tell us your real name?" A girl with light brown hair, sitting on the lap of a mischievous-looking guy.

Percy shrugged, grinning. "It's kind of an inside joke."

Everyone nodded, but some looked curious. Percy hid a smile at Annabeth's frustrated expression. He wasn't sure when he would reveal his name, but not now. Not yet.

"So what are we watching?" he asked.

The mayhem started again. Everyone was heatedly arguing for their favorite Disney movie. Percy personally wanted to watch _The Little Mermaid_ , (shut up) but since he had just joined the group he decided to stay quiet.

After at least fifteen more minutes of arguing, Annabeth suggested _Tangled,_ and they all pied onto the oversized couch as Piper started the movie. A girl with long black hair and obsidian eyes opened a closet and brought out some bean-bag chairs, which were claimed quickly by anyone who didn't fit on the couch.

Annabeth and Percy grabbed the last two and _somehow_ they landed next to each other.

As the movie started and someone turned the lights off, Percy glanced over at Annabeth, her features lit in the glow of the screen. Her turned-up nose, delicate cheekbones, and soft, plump lips were highlighted and pretty, the soft golden curls framing her face making them all the more beautiful.

He looked back at the screen, where baby Rapunzel was waving her chubby fists, and had a sudden, random thought that if he and Annabeth got together, got married, and had kids, their daughter could look just like Rapunzel – bright green eyes and golden hair.

He blushed crimson and shook away the thought, but it pertained in his mind the rest of the movie.

Halfway through, when Rapunzel was dancing in the town square and she and Eugene were sharing a cupcake in a doorway, Annabeth leaned over. At first, Percy thought she was reaching toward the coffee table to grab another piece of pizza – he had already had about nine slices (but who was counting?), along with a couple sodas and an entire bag of potato chips. But instead, she leaned towards him.

"I came up with a new nickname for you," she whispered. Her breath smelled like lemon-lime soda and tickled his ear. No, he did not get shivers up and down his back when her hand brushed his shoulder. No way.

"What is it?" he whispered back.

"Seaweed Brain," she answered.

Percy raised his eyebrows, grinning. It fit. It really did.

"Ok, Wise Girl," he replied, hoping she didn't notice his beanbag shifting closer to hers. "Seaweed Brain it is."

She smiled warmly, and somehow her hand found her way to his. Percy's brain went haywire – _Oh my word is she holding my hand yes she's definitely holding my hand it's probably sweaty and oh crap her hand is so soft –_

But they held hands the rest of the movie. In fact, after _Tangled_ and onto _Beauty and the Beast,_ at Piper's insistence, their beanbags were almost touching. And during the climax in _Aladdin,_ she held onto his arm, covering her eyes with her hand even though Percy was sure she had watched it a million times, her fingers growing tighter and tighter until it actually hurt.

But strangely, Percy didn't mind a bit. In fact, he _might_ have actually enjoyed it. Like, a lot.

About four movies, nine pizzas, four packs of sodas and seven hours later, most the group was asleep and the rest on the edge. Will and Nico were snoring together on the couch. Piper had fallen asleep in Jason's lap and he was struggling to keep his eyes open. Frank's head was on Hazel's lap as she slept. Katie and Travis were asleep and so intertwined on a beanbag that it was hard to tell where Katie started and Travis began. Clarisse had passed out on the floor, and Chris with an arm around her, smiling softly. Reyna was curled up in the only actual chair, and Leo had fallen asleep using his beanbag as a pillow. Calypso was curled against his sprawled body, looking half-asleep.

Percy glance at Annabeth, who was still awake, but looked exhausted. "Hey," he said softly. "So… do they just sleep in here or do we wake everybody up?"

She laughed quietly. "All hell will break lose if we wake anybody up, _trust_ me. Since tomorrow – or I guess it's so late that today – is Saturday, everybody will wake up at their leisure and probably spend the day here too." She suddenly looked nervous. "I'll probably go crash in Piper's and my room." Annabeth fidgeted with her sweater. "Um, I'd say you could sleep out here but there's no more room, so I guess you can sleep in Piper's bed, if you want."

Percy had to admit that sounded great, as he was much too tired to attempt driving to his own apartment. "Okay. And Annabeth?"

Even in the dim light from the TV, he could see her blush and smile at the ground. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for inviting me." He squeezed her hand, hoping she couldn't hear his voice tremble because _everything_ about her made him nervous, made him want to prove himself. "I had a great time."

Her grey eyes, which normally looked stormy and fierce, were warm and big and soft as they met his. "I'm glad." Her voice was a whisper.

He helped her up, and they tiptoed to Annabeth's and Piper's room. He glanced around the sweetly disheveled space – the twin beds on either side of the room looked awfully inviting. Percy could feel his eyes growing heavier by the minute, and after glancing at the alarm clock, which read 4:07 AM, he had good reason.

Annabeth pulled off her slippers and collapsed in her bed without changing her clothes. "'Night, Seaweed Brain."

He pulled the blanket over him, completely unashamed of the smile stretching across his face. "'Night, Wise Girl."

Then his eyes drooped, and he fell asleep to the sound of Annabeth's gentle breathing.

 **And that's all for today! Remember to tell me what POV you want the next coffee-shop chapter to be.**

 **Love ya'll!**

 **WM**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Happy Saturday! Thanks so much for the reviews, favs, and follows. So I did this chapter in both of their POVs, since a lot of people seemed to like that idea. There was also an idea for a chapter with a Piper POV, and I think that would be really fun, so maybe I'll try that too sometime in the near future. Thank you so much for everybody who shared their preferences! :)**

 **Alright, people, onto the story!**

Percy breathed in deeply. The cold was so sharp and biting that it hurt his lungs to suck it in, the whirling snowflakes biting into his cheeks above his scarf, but after smelling busy tourists and body odor and dirty diapers from little tourist children, all in an enclosed space, the _entire_ morning… he definitely needed fresh air.

And Annabeth.

 _Urgh._ Percy ran his fingers through his hair, trying to forget how, only two days before, he had woken up in Annabeth's bedroom after their movie night. He had woken up, glanced to the other side of the room, and saw Annabeth. Her curls had been wild around her pillow, her sweater had been pulled off sometime in the night, and she was just so freaking _adorable_ that he had bit his lip.

He shook his head, feeling his nose growing red in the cold as he waited for the light to change. How could you meet someone only a few weeks ago and not be able to get them out of your thoughts? In all of his life, Percy had never had a girl have that effect over him before.

But then, not everyone was Annabeth. Not by a long shot.

He quickly crossed the street in an awkward, half-walk, half-run style, waving at the impatient cars waiting to cross the street. He could smell the coffee shop before he even got there, could feel the warmth of freshly baked pastries and hot, creamy drinks, could hear the merry bells jingling on the wreath on the door as tourists bustled through the doorway.

He opened the door and stopped as the blast of warmth hit him like a truck. Here, he could stay for hours.

(For more than one reason.)

He got in line, anxiously searching for Annabeth. When his green eyes met hers, busy behind the counter, the grey widened in surprise and – was he imaging the spark of delight that passed through them?

"Seaweed Brain!" she called.

"Hey, Wise Girl," he answered, grinning. Several older folks in the line smiled and nudged each other, the looks on their faces plain as day: _young love._ Percy blushed at the thought.

As people gave their orders, paid, and went to the other end of the bar to wait, Percy again tried to read the menu. Okay, so maybe he wasn't trying _too_ hard – it gave him an excuse to let Annabeth help him.

He finally made it to the front, where Annabeth was waiting to take his order. "And let me guess, this guy has dyslexia and can't read the menu?" she teased. Percy noticed that her eyes looked livelier and happier, less tense, than they had last week. Her curls were actually arranged and smooth, her short layers framing her face pulled back, but the rest left free.

"Now how would you guess that?" he teased right back, enjoying the feeling he got when those grey eyes sparked with happiness. "What would you suggest?" he asked, leaning across the counter.

She pretended to consider. "I would say a peppermint cocoa would be good, especially in this weather."

Percy glanced outside again. The storm was growing stronger. He could barely see across the street for the swirling snowflakes, and the drifts by the big flowerpots next to the door had to be more than a couple feet high. "Yeah, that sounds great, Wise Girl. It's like you read my mind."

She giggled. Percy thought absentmindedly that she had a very nice laugh. It wasn't like a Valley-Girl giggle, but somehow retained the breathy, girlish qualities without making her sound like a dumb blonde.

"I'll have it ready in a couple minutes," she continued, the freckle near her left eyes crinkling when she smiled.. "If you want, you can come behind the counter – we have a little table in the back, and I'm almost on my lunch break."

"Okay, will do." He saluted, and she laughed again before turning her attention to the next customer. The girl with long, curly, cinnamon-colored hair and dark skin that he had met on Saturday motioned, smiling, to a little gateway near the back of the counter. He quickly made his way over to her.

"Hey, Kelp Face," she said. "I'm Hazel, in case you couldn't remember. You met a lot of people on Saturday."

Percy smiled. "Nice to meet you again, Hazel. I'm just waiting for Annabeth to be done."

She winked. "Well, technically she had about twenty more minutes, but I got Pipes to come in a little early."

He grinned. Even Annabeth's friends were on his side. "Awesome. Thanks, Hazel."

Hazel grinned as she made her way to the front of the counter again. "You're very welcome, Kelpie."

•

Within a few minutes, Annabeth had been taken over by Piper, and _finally_ she could go talk to Seaweed Brain.

She tried to control her giddiness as she grabbed his peppermint cocoa, poured a few drops of blue food coloring in it, and mixed it around. This was Seaweed Brain. Even though she had just known him for a few weeks, he felt like any of her old friends. He fit in well with their group, and just everything about him was perfect.

The problem was, Annabeth was tired of crushes. She was tired of the dating game. She was tired of being hurt, tired of promises being made and then _oh look there goes another guy who decided someone else was better._

She shook away her thoughts and grabbed a cocoa for herself, too, minus the blue, and pulled off her apron before walking briskly to the back.

"Hey Annabeth!" His green eyes reminded her of a little seal. She tried not to grin. He was so cute.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain," she answered easily, sitting down and handing him his drink. "How've you been since, well, Saturday?"

His laugh made her want to smile, simply because it was so deep and happy-sounding. So smile she did.

"Great, how have you been?" he asked. "You look less tired than you did last week."

She nodded, surprised at how observant he was. "Yeah, the tourists are wearing me out, but I got about fourteen hours of sleep, a long run in the snow, and a hot bath in yesterday, so I'm feeling rejuvenated."

"That sounds good." He sipped his cocoa. "Mmm, that's good. Thanks for the blue. I forgot to ask today, but you knew."

She smiled, and took his hand casually. Feeling it, feeling how it fit in her little palm and how they just _fit,_ was so amazing that she almost forgot what she was saying. "Of course I knew, Seaweed Brain."

They talked for a few more minutes, small talk mostly, before Seaweed Brain asked something more personal. "When was your last relationship?"

She was surprised, yes, but not offended. Seaweed Brain had a way like that – able to just ask anything. Annabeth was sure she could never refuse those baby-seal eyes anything. "Um, my sophomore year of college."

"But you're a senior now, right?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "I mean, just wondering, but why nothing since then?"

She smiled thinly, not because of Seaweed Brain, but because of bad memories. His eyes widened, though, and Annabeth thought a moment too late what the smile could have been seen as by him.

"You – you don't have to answer, I'm just being nosy, I'm sorry," he stammered.

"No, no," Annabeth reassured him. "It's just… I'm tired of guys saying one thing, and meaning another. I'm tired of being promised something, and then those promises broken. I want a relationship that will last, something where we could be together for life and always, ya know, like, be each other's person, forever. I think – I think that's why I like architecture. I want to build something _permanent_ , something that people can see for a thousand years and remember that I built it."

Seaweed Brain nodded understandingly. "Yeah. I get that."

Annabeth found herself smiling. "Thanks."

Seaweed Brain smiled too, and squeezed her hand. "Anytime, Wise Girl."

 **And that's all for today, folks! (I feel like I'm watching Loony Toons or something. XD)**

 **Love ya'll!**

 **WM**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! Guess who's updating. ;) It's not really that long between chapters, I guess, but it feels like forever to me.**

 **First, I'd like to thank the amazing people who have reviewed almost Every. Single. Chapter. You don't know how happy that makes me when I'm reading through them. And of course, all the other people who have reviewed as well - seriously, reviews are like free food to me. (And that's saying something. I love food. Especially tacos. And chocolate chip cookies.) :D Thank you all so, so much.**

 **Second, I will probably be doing two or three more chapters after this - the Christmas party, one more coffee shop scene, and an epilogue. I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **Third and last, please tell me if you want the Christmas party in some other POV than Annabeth's/Percy's. One reviewer suggested Piper, which is an awesome idea - I'm also thinking maybe Jason or Hazel. You tell me, though!**

 **Alright, onto the story! Read, review, and enjoy!**

Annabeth inconspicuously slipped behind a tree at the entrance of the park and watched out of the corner of her eye. Seaweed Brain hadn't noticed her yet, and she wanted to see how he acted when she wasn't around.

The young man, acting like a five year old (but was that surprising?), was at the community park, sticking his tongue out to catch snowflakes on the busy swings. Children, bundled up against the cold, were flying around the play space on tiny booted feet, their energy ten times more than normal because Christmas was only in a few days.

Annabeth peered out, glancing again toward the black hair under a beanie, the red nose ad wide, laughing mouth. Now Seaweed Brain had gotten up from his swing to let a little girl, no more than five, have it. She begged him to push her, and he obliged, grinning as he sent the swing flying. The girl squealed with delight, and soon the other seven swings, also claimed by small kids, were clamoring for Seaweed Brain to push them too.

She smiled into her knitted glove, feeling a happy blush as she watched them. Seaweed Brain was a natural with kids, better than anyone else his age or older that she had ever seen. He went on their level to play with them, did things that they liked, and just genuinely enjoyed talking to them. And the kids could tell. Seaweed Brain, working up a sweat even in the biting cold running from swing to swing, shouted "Underdog!" and ran under the squealing kid's flailing legs as the swing went soaring. Annabeth laughed at how the begging increased tenfold as seven other little kids began wailing for him to do it to them, too. His sea-green eyes sparkling with laughter, he indulged them.

Annabeth could have stayed behind that tree and watched him all day, but it was early dusk and the sun was beginning to descend. She thought with a start that today was Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Her hands, even in her thick, knitted gloves, were getting cold and stiff, so she reluctantly decided to leave the little playground and make her way home.

As she turned around, a pair of big, gentle hands covered her eyes. "Guess who?"

She turned around, laughing. "Seaweed Brain!"

The green eyes went round with innocence. "Who, me?"

"Your beanie is crooked," Annabeth told him matter-of-factly, reaching up to straighten it. No, of course she didn't accidently touch his soft black hair. The idea.

"So's yours," Seaweed Brain said with mock-seriousness, straightening the grey beret over her blond curls. He waved good-bye to his adoring crowd of little kids and casually took Annabeth's hand, beginning to stroll down the walking trail leading to the parking lot. Snow crunched under their feet as they walked, and Annabeth couldn't control the giddiness that rose up in her as the warmth from his big hand leaked into her small, cold palm.

"So why were you here?" he asked, glancing down at her with his easy smile.

"Well, I went by the aquarium to find you after work, but you weren't there. So I asked Will Solace – I didn't know he was your boss, I guess you already knew him when you came over last Saturday – and he said that you liked to walk down to the park after you get off. So I went down here. I would have just texted you" – they had exchanged phone numbers a few days ago at the coffee shop – "but I lost my phone."

Seaweed Brain raised a thick black eyebrow. "I know, I'm so popular. So why were you trying to find me?"

She nudged him playfully. "I was _going_ to ask you if you wanted to come over tomorrow night. Not for a movie night, but a Christmas party."

Seaweed Brain looked pleased. "I'd love to. Will it be at your apartment?"

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah. And if you want you can bring some cookies or something, but don't feel like you have too."

He shrugged with an easy grin. "Okay. That sounds awesome."

They walked in silence for a while after that. Annabeth let the snow brush her eyelashes, barely able to keep from skipping. They walked by a large pine tree draped in red and white lights, and Annabeth thought absentmindedly how pretty Seaweed Brain's eyes were with the crimson lights reflecting in them. The city had decorated the public park beautifully, and in the growing dusk one could appreciate the gorgeous, sparkling lights dotting the grounds. Without even meaning too, she began to sing.

"Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright…" her sweet, soft voice cut through the gently falling snow like a bird's.

"Round, yon virgin, mother and child…" Seaweed Brain picked up. Annabeth looked up in surprise, and he just grinned down at her while singing. He had an unexpectedly beautiful voice, a deep, gentle tenor then blended exquisitely with her delicate soprano.

"Holy Infant, so tender and mild," they sang quietly, Seaweed Brain's arm around Annabeth's shoulders, pulling her closer to him. "Sleep in heavenly peace…" Annabeth's voice went up to the higher notes and Seaweed Brain's went down in beautiful harmony.

They stopped and faced each other on the frozen, snowy path as they sang the last line together. "Sleep in heavenly peace."

Annabeth froze, her breath puffing white into the bitterly cold air, because he was so close and so warm and so _gorgeous_ , right there in the dancing shadows of the Christmas lights, that she wanted to kiss him.

Before she could, though, he leaned down and touched his lips to hers in one quick, almost voluntary motion. Annabeth rose on her tiptoes and let her arms find their way around his neck, his hands around her waist, deepening the kiss. His lips tasted like a mixture of salt and peppermint and coffee, which didn't sound like a good combination but it _was,_ and Annabeth was willing to let this moment continue forever –

And then Seaweed Brain pulled away. "Hey."

Annabeth laughed breathlessly. "Hey."

Wordlessly, he pulled her close, his strong, powerful arms circling her and just so warm and safe and secure that Annabeth let a thought sneak into her mind. _I would be perfectly happy spending the rest of my life with this guy._

She sighed against his flannel jacket, letting her head rest on his chest and smelling the mixture of coffee and Old Spice permeating his clothes. For what seemed like forever – this was another moment Annabeth could have let go on to eternity – they stood there, letting the snow gather on their shoulders and the twinkling, sparkling decorations bath them in a soft, festive light.

Finally, Annabeth pulled away, letting her eyes search his. "So, what now?" Immediately she regretted it, putting her foot in her mouth. But it had been so long – _so_ long – since she had felt this, had actually wanted a relationship to continue. Could it happen?

Seaweed Brain grinned. "I think now would be the time I ask you if you want to do that again."

Annabeth giggled and stood on her tiptoes, pressing her overwhelming smile against his lips. When again they pulled back, Seaweed Brain brushed the snow from a blonde curl. "And see, now, I ask you if you'd like to go to dinner with me."

Annabeth laughed and put her hands on her hips. "Seaweed Brain, are you asking me out?"

He pretended to consider, his baby-seal eyes scrunching in thought. "Yeah, yeah, I think so."

In answer, she took his hand again, this time intertwining their fingers. "I think I might make time for you."

He grinned, looking smug. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

"Now I am," Annabeth told him, just as smugly.

He gestured to the path. "Then shall we go, m'lady?"

Annabeth giggled, feeling like she was floating. Had she ever felt this way before? No, no other guy had ever cared about her this way, this much, before. Seaweed Brain was one-of-a-kind.

She took his waiting hand. "Let's go."

 **ASDFGHJKL I LOVE PERCABETH. *ahem* Sorry. Anyway, remember to tell me what POV you want the next one in! Any constructive criticism/ideas are welcome! Thanks so much, everybody!**

 **Oops, forgot to add the disclaimer. For like, a bunch of chapters. I really need to just put it on my profile. Let it be known that I do not own PJO or anything else you might recognize. :)**

 **WM**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! New chapter! I had so much fun writing this. Thank you all so much for the reviews and suggestions! This chap is in multiple POVs: Percy, Piper, then Annabeth. I was originally planning to do some of her other friends, like Jason, Hazel, and one reviewer suggested Nico, which was an awesome idea, but I then decided that those three hadn't spent enough time around Annabeth/Percy like how Piper did, and none of them knew Annabeth as well as Piper either. So yeah, that's what I went with. Hope you all like it! :) Read, review, and enjoy!**

Percy knocked on the door of the apartment, breathing heavily. The elevator had been out, and he had had to climb numerous flights of stairs to get to Annabeth's apartment. From the din leaking from the cracks of the closed door, he could assume that all the other young adults were already there.

He glanced down at the plate in his hands and smiled, knowing Annabeth would laugh when she saw the cookies he had brought.

And laugh she did when she opened the door, her bright red sweater, jeans, and grey scrunch boots looking festive. "Seriously, Seaweed Brain? _Blue_ cookies?"

He grinned and stepped forward to kiss her, relishing the fact that he could. He thought back to their first real date the night before. He had taken her to a little diner in town, where they had inhaled burgers and hot chocolate, and then talked for a long time. In fact, they had talked so long that the owner of the restraint had unceremoniously kicked them out, upon which they had braved the swirling storm outside to run to the aquarium. Shielding their eyes from the snow, Percy lead the way, Annabeth holding onto his hand as they ran down Main Street, lit only by sparkling Christmas lights. The aquarium was obviously closed, but Percy used his key to let them in before Annabeth's hands completely froze. They had burst in the door and fell in a heap on the floor, laughing until they couldn't breathe, frozen hands tightly clasped together, scarves crusted with snow, noses red and running, but perfectly happy, just being _together._

Percy brought his mind back to the present as Annabeth took the plate of cookies and led him, chattering, to the kitchen. They then went to the main room, where the same group as before sat, talking and laughing. Some kind of cards were on the coffee table, and it seemed the entire group was playing.

"Spoons." Annabeth answered his unspoken question.

He raised his eyebrows. "Spoons? I remember playing that when I was like ten."

Annabeth laughed. "Yeah, well there was this one time when all the dorms had a power outage – I think last January? – and with no Wifi or anything, we were pretty bored. So we all lit some candles and had a huge game of spoons."

Percy grinned. "Sounds awesome." His hand had found its way to hers now, and he squeezed it gently.

Just then, Piper, sitting by Jason, looked up. A look of surprise, then shock, then realization came over her face in waves as she took in their intertwined fingers and abnormally large smiles.

She stood up, her petite form only about 5'2", but she looked like a giant to Percy, especially with a furious glint in her kaleidoscope eyes and tossing her long, chocolate brown hair like a wild pony.

Without a word, she herded the couple to the kitchen, threw them against the wall and began the tirade. "Annabeth, how could you not have told me? How long have you guys been dating? Did you see him last night? Is that where you were during the storm? You didn't get here until three o' clock am and don't think I was actually sleeping, I was waiting for you and I was worried and then you said you were at Hazel's but I asked her just now and she said she hadn't seen you since work and now you guys are holding hands and you have _that smile_ for each other and _why didn't you freaking tell me?"_

Percy looked at her blankly. Annabeth rolled her eyes. "He asked me out only last night, and we went out to dinner, were kicked out because the restaurant closed at 11, then because of the storm we went to the aquarium and talked. I came home as soon as the storm stopped."

Piper scoffed, "Oh right. Like making conversation is all you did."

"I promise, we just went there to talk! That's _it._ " Annabeth told her best friend, throwing up her hands in exasperation.

"Kissed a couple of times," Percy added.

Annabeth shot him a glare. "Not helping!"

Piper rolled her eyes. "Okay, but why – " Her gaze fell upon the plate of cookies Annabeth had set on the counter with the other food. "Oh my word, are those blue cookies?"

•

Piper wasn't hugely ticked off. Like, just a little bit. Well, maybe more than a little bit. Because Annabeth was her best friend, and honestly why hadn't Annabeth at least told her? She had told Annabeth every little thing with Jason, from when he was simply a handsome face, then an unending crush, then the moment when he had gone up to her, twisting his hands together in nervousness, and asked her out. But even after all that, Kelp Face had _finally_ asked Annabeth on a date and _she hadn't even told Piper._

But the blue chocolate-chip cookies, upbeat Christmas music, and an uproarious game of spoons among a large group of college kids was enough to quell her miffed feelings. The game, of course, wasn't as fun as the kids playing it – Nico nearly broke his thumb when Clarisse grabbed for the same spoon he had, which set Will on a quest to completely destroy Clarisse in the game. Of course, since it was mostly chance instead of skill, he wasn't able to do a whole lot, but it added a whole new dimension of fun. Soon everybody had picked sides and cards were so blatantly exchanged between teams that Piper gave up trying to tell everyone to play by the rules.

Kelp Face and Annabeth were as drawn into the fun as anyone else, but Piper couldn't help but notice that their hands remained clasped under the table, and every once in a while they'd share a secret smile, as if laughing at something only they could see.

Piper knew the feeling well. Soulmate kind of thing – when she and Jason had first gotten together, they had been in their own little world. And you could see that Kelp Face really, _really_ liked Annabeth. Like, to the point of doing something crazy for her. And being Annabeth's best friend sine middle school allowed Piper to understand that Annabeth really and truly like him back. They were a good match, she thought. And to think they had met at the coffee shop!

She excused herself to grab some more food, letting Will and Clarisse banter away, with their respective significant others doing their best to calm them down. Poor Nico and Chris were about at their wit's end.

Annabeth got up at the same time, saying something about blue coffee, and came into the kitchen as Piper grabbed another cookie.

Annabeth raised one of her blond eyebrows. Piper swore she'd learn how to do that one day. "You really like those, don't you?"

"You really like him, don't you?" Piper answered in the way only a best friend could.

Annabeth plopped onto a chair, the food forgotten. "Yeah," she admitted. "I do. But Pipes – listen, I'm sorry about not telling you. It just happened so fast, and – "

"Hey. Don't worry about it," Piper said, putting away her petty grudge because, well, this was Annabeth. "I'm just glad you and him finally got together."

Annabeth truly looked worried. "Piper, do you think we _are_ going too fast? I mean, I just met him like a month ago, and although he's an amazing guy, I keep wanting to tell him – I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I don't want him to become 'just another ex'."

Piper could sense that under the fog of happiness, her best friend was truly scared about this. Really, she had a right to be, after so many guys had abandoned her for other girls.

"And, if all those other guys didn't want to stay, why would Seawe – I mean, Kelp Face? What makes him special?"

"Because he cares about you," Piper said simply, reaching across the table to grasp her best friend's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "You can see it in his eyes, in his face, the way he looks at you. He's not just infatuated with you, because infatuation passes. He's in love, and love, no matter what happens, sticks around."

Annabeth looked a little stunned, as if the realization had hit her in the face. "Sticks around," she muttered. "Sticks around. Pipes, thanks. _Thank_ you."

Piper grinned. "What else am I here for? Other than helping sample this blue coffee."

Annabeth smiled. "Yeah, I just added some coloring to the cream. Kelp Face loves blue, as you've noticed."

Piper nodded. "But that brings up another – and I promise it's my last, at least for now – question. Do you know his real name?"

Annabeth giggled. "Yeah, that's another thing he has to tell me. Although I admit I'm really, _really_ curious."

Piper patted her hand and said sweetly, "I'm sure you'll find out. Good things come to those who wait." Perfectly knowing Annabeth's least practiced virtue was patience.

Her best friend groaned. "Thanks a lot."

•

Annabeth washed the last of the dishes, cracking her neck. The rest of the young adults had, like they did after movie nights, crashed, sleeping wherever there was a flat surface. Beanbag chairs, the couch, the overstuffed chair, the floor, mostly – pretty much anywhere and everywhere.

Piper and Jason had retired to cuddle on Piper's bed – Annabeth had made them keep the door open, to their weak protests.

She glanced at the clock. 2 am. At this time yesterday, she had been taken on the deluxe aquarium tour, sponsored by Seaweed Brain himself. They had looked at all the sharks and fish and turtles and everything else in the giant tanks. Annabeth had never been hugely interested in that kind of thing, but the spark Seaweed Brain got in his eyes and the passion for the sea in his voice made her hang onto his every word.

And then the storm had died down, and they had exited the aquarium and walked down the sidewalk, making the first footprints in the freshly fallen snow. Muffled laughter had been a given in their conversation as they made their way to Annabeth's apartment, a few streets away in the small town.

And then, after they had reached the building, Seaweed Brain had again stooped and gently kissed her, pulling back and lightly brushing one of her snowy curls away from her face. She had hugged him one last time, said a breathless good-night, and gone up to her floor.

Somehow the window in her room was just at the right place where she could see the street below, see Seaweed Brain walking down the powdery sidewalk. He must have felt eyes upon him, because he had turned around, saw the dim light in her window, and blown her a kiss. She had caught it and sent him on of her own, tinged with the overwhelming smile on her face.

That had definitely been one of the best nights of her life.

"Hey." A soft voice made her jump.

"Hey," she answered as she turned around. "Why aren't you asleep?"

Seaweed Brain shrugged. "I was hungry." He grabbed the very last cookie off a small dessert plate on the table.

"Hey!" Annabeth scolded quietly, trying not to wake the others. "I was saving that!"

"Oh." His face resembled a baby seal. Annabeth wondered how she would _ever_ tell this guy no.

She laughed. "Here. I'll split it." She handed him a half, and leaned against his chest as she chewed. Instinctively his arms went around her, as though to shield her from any harm that could ever reach her.

She sighed with content. Here was where she belonged. Sure, Seaweed Brain wasn't the cliché "Mr. Perfect." He was human, after all. He didn't always smell good. He was stubborn. He was different than her, had different opinions, different favorites. They weren't the exact same. They wouldn't always agree.

But Annabeth was okay with that. He was her person. Even with bed head and morning breath, she still loved him. And that wasn't going to change on a whim.

His voice startled her out of her thoughts. "Where are you sleeping?"

That was another thing about him that she loved. _Where are you sleeping._ Not, _where are we sleeping,_ or even _can I cuddle with you,_ but _Where are you sleeping._ Willing to give her space. Willing to take it slow.

With a _trust me_ smile, she led him to her and Piper's room. Piper and Jason were snoring, curled up together on Piper's bed, his hands resting lightly around her.

"They're so cute," whispered Seaweed Brain.

"Yeah." Annabeth's throat choked for a second. She didn't deserve Piper. She didn't deserve Jason. She _definitely_ didn't Seaweed Brain. She didn't deserve _any_ of her amazing friends, the people who cared about her.

She quickly went to the bathroom to change out of her jeans and sweater into baggy pajama pants and a tight tee-shirt. Annabeth quickly climbed into bed and motioned for Seaweed Brain to sleep on the outside edge.

He smiled, but asked, "Are you sure?"

She squeezed his hand as he sank onto the bed, pulling the blanket over both of them and cuddling with her. His head rested on her shoulder, his arm around her protectively. The weight of it was pleasant, comforting.

A few minutes of quiet; Annabeth was sure Seaweed Brain had fallen asleep. Then his quiet voice spoke up. "Wise Girl?"

"Yeah?" she asked, turning her head to look at him. The dim light from the hall filtered into the otherwise dark room, and his eyes were green stars.

"I love you."

She took a deep breath. "I love you too."

With a smile still on her face, she fell asleep.

 ***grins* Did ya'll catch the MOA lines? I love adding hints to the book. And to the reviewer who caught that last one ("Your beanie is crooked!), good job! That is from BOTL, originally "Your armor is crooked." :D**

 **And that's all for today! Last couple chapters, coming up soon. Love ya'll and thanks for reading! Tell me what you thought of the party in the reviews. :)**

 **WM**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! *drumroll please* This is the LAST chapter! *sobs* Well, there's going to be n epilogue which I will probably post on Wednesday so be looking out for that, but yeah. I had a huge amount of fun writing this section. Hope you enjoy it!**

 **Thanks to all my lovely reviewers, favoriters (is that even a word? who cares) and followers. :) You guys seriously are the best!**

 **Now onto the story! Tell me what you think in the reviews. ;)**

• _One year later_ _•_

"Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth swatted him away from her, grinning. "There are customers behind you. And you have snow in your hair. And – "

He shut her up with a kiss from across the counter. The other people in line either smiled knowingly or looked annoyed. Annabeth could see that Seaweed Brain didn't care a bit either way.

 _(Did she mention that she loved him?)_

They had been dating for a year now. In fact, their one-year-anniversary was today, and Seaweed Brain had come by the busy coffee shop to pick his girlfriend up for a special date – something they could rarely afford, both of them being fresh out of college and still just establishing themselves in the realm of potential jobs.

Annabeth had graduated NYU with a bachelor's degree in Architecture. She was hoping to move closer to the city eventually for more job opportunities, while Seaweed Brain, on the other hand, had already been promoted to a bigger aquarium near the NYC. He too would be moving in the future.

 _But he won't yet,_ she thought as she apologized to an impatient business man waiting for his coffee. _Because of me._ Seaweed Brain was waiting until they could save up the money to move together. She felt guilty, almost, knowing that he could have gotten numerous jobs by now, but he always brushed her concerns off with a couple of kisses and cuddles.

 _(Did she mention that she loved him?)_

A few minutes later, Piper replaced her at the counter, and Annabeth gratefully accepted a steaming cocoa, grabbing a blue one for Seaweed Brain as her eyes drifted over the bustling shop, looking for her boyfriend. Another Christmas season had come around, and the constant stream of tourists had her legs feeling like jello.

"Over here!" he called, standing by the door. Annabeth handed him his blue cocoa, shrugged on her coat and gloves, and took his free hand as they exited the shop.

The snow crunching under their boots, Annabeth was content to simply walk in silence. Well, not silence, really – faint strains of Christmas carols drifted from open shop doors, tourists chattered and laughed as they passed on the crowded sidewalk, and cars rolling down the snow-dusted street honked and waved at friends and neighbors.

Seaweed Brain put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him as they strode briskly. Annabeth relished in the warmth, wondering again how she could have lived before she met him. He was literally her other half, her _person._

 _(Did she mention that she loved him?)_

Grinning with a secret mischief, he opened the door of the small diner. Annabeth laughed, realizing that this was the diner they had gone to exactly one year ago, that amazing night when they had talked until three in the morning, waiting out the storm. The flurries of snow around them, thankfully, showed no sign of growing.

The diner was busy in the growing dusk, dinner hour. Annabeth was glad that Seaweed Brain had called ahead and told them to reserve them a table. The waitress, one of Annabeth's friends, Katie Gardner, led them to a table in the far back corner, where the din of tourists in the front was dimmed.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Katie asked them as they sat down.

"Well, I had some cocoa from the shop, but it's gone, so I'll have another cocoa," Annabeth told her friend, smiling.

"Yeah, I'll have the same. But blue."

Katie laughed – all their friends were now well familiar with Seaweed Brain and his unusual taste for blue food. "Coming right up. You guys tell me what you want when I come back."

They thanked her and made small talk – just little things, then the subject changed to their first date. Annabeth sighed happily, remembering it. Funny, it seemed like just yesterday. Time certainly had flown.

 _(Did she mention that she loved him?)_

They ordered burgers – the same ones they had the year before – talking, smiling, laughing. Laughter was a given in their conversations. Seaweed Brain always knew what to say, even if Annabeth had had a bad day. She loved that about him, too.

And, she realized during a funny story he was telling her, she knew everything about him. Well, not everything – you couldn't learn everything about someone even if you had a lifetime to do it (though she would try if she had the chance). But the little things: like how he loved beanies but hated snapbacks, or how _Finding Nemo_ and _The Little Mermaid_ were his favorite movies, or how he would only drink orange juice if it had the pulp. Or like how the tiny blue specks in his green eyes caught the light when it was dark out, and how he would run his hands through his black hair when he was nervous, and how his throat moved when he sipped and the edges of his nose crinkled when he laughed. Because everything, _everything_ about him was normal and yet so _unique_. Just another person to the random outsider, but to her, ten thousand times more beautiful than she had ever seen. Because he was hers.

 _(Did she mention that she loved him?)_

Seaweed Brain ordered dessert for both of them. She scolded him but smiled, and she could tell from his face that he knew she had wanted it.

He excused himself while they were waiting to make a trip to the restroom, and Annabeth was about to do the same when he thrust his cup of cocoa – why were his hands shaking? – to her and said, "Can you hold this for me?"

She nodded, wondering why he couldn't just have left it on the table, but with Seaweed Brain, she never knew.

Annabeth sat down again, twirling the cup in her hands and watching the blue, creamy liquid within swirling, when suddenly her finger caught on something on the bottom.

She held the cup above her head in curiosity. Her breath caught as her eyes glazed over a ring, scotch-taped to the bottom. The scribble above it – Seaweed Brain's signature chicken scrawl – read:

 _I want to build something permanent with you._

Realization hit her like a truck, and she didn't even realize there were tears streaming down her face until she tasted the salt in her mouth. She dumped the rest of the cocoa into her own empty mug, the blue liquid sploshing around the edge and running down the sides, in her haste to untape the ring on the bottom of the cup.

Annabeth held it out, examining it, crying, laughing, sobbing, really. Not a diamond – a black pearl, lined with tiny red stones that almost looked like coral.

It was stunning. She couldn't breathe.

And then suddenly there was Seaweed Brain, appearing out of nowhere, down on one knee, laughing at her reaction, asking her to marry him.

The world stopped for a moment. Just one, but it was enough to last Annabeth a lifetime.

 _(Did she mention that she loved him?)_

And then it had started again and her vision was spinning, and she was laughing through her tears and throwing her arms around the guy that she knew, without a doubt, she _could_ spend the rest of her life with. With her Seaweed Brain, because he was her _person._

Forever.

"Of _course_ I'll marry you, Seaweed Brain," she said into his ear, hugging him for all she was worth.

"Percy."

She pulled back, laughing and brushing away her tears, too distracted to comprehend what he had said. "What?"

 _(Did she mention that she loved him?)_

"Percy," he repeated, his smile growing. "My name is Percy Jackson, and I love you more than you'll ever know, Annabeth Chase."

And then, of course, she kissed him. Kelp Face. Seaweed Brain. Percy Jackson.

Her _fiancé_.

Because real love stuck around.

And Annabeth was pretty sure they'd already started building something permanent.

 _(Yeah, she'_ _d mentioned that she_ _loved him, but she'd repeat it the rest of her life.)_

 **Okie dokie! Love it? Hate it? What did you think of the moment Percy actually told her his name? _(finally_ cough cough) So anyways, I hope you all really enjoyed it! Please leave a review and be looking for the epilogue pretty soon!**

 **WM**


	10. Epilogue

**Hey, all you wonderful people! This *sobs* is the epilogue and final installment of this story! This thing was so much fun to write, and thank ya'll so much for all the support. Reviews, favs, follows - all that made me so happy and encouraged. :)**

 **So, here it is. *drumroll please* Tell me what you think! And since this story is now over. if any of ya'll have any ideas for some new stories, I would be glad to take them! (Because I need something to distract me from school. :D)**

 **Onto the epilogue *cough cough* I mean story!**

Percy let his eyes slide over his computer screen, scanning an email from his boss. Apparently they needed him to come in an hour early this morning. He yawned, wearily thinking how good it had been that he accidentally set his alarm earlier than normal.

He went to the bathroom of the New York apartment and used some water to try to tame his wild hair. Although the tangles left quickly enough, he soon gave up trying to make it lie flat. Pulling his bathrobe over his tee shirt and flannel pajama pants, he made his way back to the kitchen table, yawning again.

As he typed a hasty email back, saying coming in would be fine and he'd be there in 45 minutes, a slender pair of arms circled his neck.

"Hey." Annabeth's voice was gentle and rough with sleep.

"Hey," he answered, grinning as he turned and kissed her, morning breath and all. "How'd you sleep?"

"Fine," she yawned, sitting down next to him sleepily.

"And how did Seaweed Brain Jr. sleep?" Percy cooed, touching his wife's rounded stomach gently.

Annabeth laughed and teasingly shoved his hand away. "Actually, it's _Wise_ _Girl_ _Jr_., for your information. And _she_ slept very well, except she was kicking this morning and woke me up."

"Oh! Can I feel?" Percy asked eagerly, giving his wife puppy eyes.

Annabeth rolled her own eyes. "I swear, you're like a five-year-old sometimes," she said exasperatedly. "Yes, you can feel."

Grinning at having won, Percy set his big hand on her abdomen and laughed delightedly when soft little butterfly kicks greeted him. "Hey, big boy," he cooed, ignoring Annabeth's pointed glare. "Are you hungry? I am."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "Was that a hint that you would like some breakfast?"

"Yes?" he said, looking hopeful.

"You don't have to leave for about an hour and a half, though," Annabeth pointed out, trying and failing to run her fingers through her tangled curls.

"Actually, Porky emailed that he needs me to come in early," he explained. "So I need to go get dressed, too." He stood up and offered his wife a hand.

Annabeth took it gratefully and rose with some difficulty. "Thanks," she answered, kissing him on the cheek. "Now go shower – your hair is a rat's nest!"

"But I already brushed it out," Percy whined childishly.

Annabeth smiled sweetly. "No breakfast until you shower. Unless _you_ want to make it…" Perfectly know her husband couldn't cook to save his life.

Percy groaned. "I'm going, I'm going…"

Within a few minutes, Percy had showered and dressed, and could smell bacon frying on the stove. He kissed his wife as he returned to the kitchen. "Thanks, Wise Girl."

"Welcome, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth smiled at him. It was times like these – the little moments – that Percy reflected how lucky he was to have such an amazing woman to be with for the rest of his life. He kissed her again, deeper this time, and she laughingly kissed him back.

"Love you, Percy," she murmured.

"Love you too," Percy replied, pulling on one of her golden curls.

Annabeth laughed and turned to the coffeemaker, her expression warm and cheerful. Percy saved the picture in his mind, so he could look back on it for years to come. Her hair caught the sunlight streaming from the window behind her and shone a brilliant gold, the grey t-shirt she wore highlighted her deep, stormy eyes, and most of all the love beaming on her face as she turned to him and asked –

"Would you like your coffee black or blue?"

 **And that's it! :) Please tell me what you thought of the epilogue and story in general. Thank you all SO MUCH! :D Love ya'll!**

 **Over and out,**

 **WM**

 _(And yes, the baby - a green-eyed, golden-haired little girl - looked like Rapunzel. And honestly, Percy knew he had the two most beautiful girls in the world.)_


End file.
